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Thursday, August 18, 2011

On the Forecast: Gameweek 2

Can he really break the jinx?

SUN vs NEW

Other than the Gunners game, this is a must see, the fiery Wear-Tyne derby; Both look good in the opener (or their opponent were not in their best?); Seb Larsson will be fovourite after lashing the flying first timer and hogging all the set-pieces; Newcastle new French quartets looked lively enough for consideration but it might be too soon though; A close encounter of familiar near rivals with no clean sheets of course; 2-1 to the home side and the highlights will be on the strikers;

ARS vs LIV

Fab is finally off, Nasri is on the verge while VPersie is now the official captain; Home defense is depleted after the midweek win and Wenger has to make do with anyone in his disposal (for now); Carroll will fancy terrorising the host with his header and direct runs while Suarez's trickery is guaranteed; Pool are looking good at the back and should have no problems here; The Reds are very good at least on paper but still don't ever underestimate master tactician Wenger; A gridlock is expected but there will be goals, no doubt;

AST vs BLA

There is some uncertainty regarding Given fitness (just make sure your 2nd keeper is playing!); Nzog and Bent looked rusty last weekend, maybe they will get better at home against the Venky boys; Rovers have no problem in scoring but defensively they need both Nelsen and Samba on board; Formica is the talk of the town but honestly they have devilish fixtures ahead; This game will further gives some indication whether Villa's rearguard is impenetrable or not; Home team to win it nicely;

Look who's back!

SWA vs WIG

A nostalgic moment for the Wigan's coach as he will be visiting his former club; Fresh from the drubbing by cameo man Aguero, the Swans will take some of positives as their amount of passing was enormous and particularly the performance of Michael Vorm (12 saves, 3 points in a 4-0 thrashing!); The passes will definitely turn into a goal at home while Wigan need to sharpen their attack with Rodallega playing from the start; Moses looks promising but bonus points may fancy Watson again; Another draw for Wigan but no clean sheet please;

EVE vs QPR

The takeover news of the Malaysian-owned business tycoon may prove as a good distraction for Rangers; I believe their loss was more on the integration of the new players (especially defense) rather than lack of quality so don't ditch Tarrabt yet; Everton are very eager to start their season especially at home after getting a time-off last weekend; Same old personnel for the Merseysiders (not even one signing) as the fit-again Arteta may take some of the kicks from the expensive Baines; They are famously known as a slow-starter but I still go with a definitive win for the Liverpool neighbor;

CHE vs WBA

Many are predicted Torres will come good in his first home game but so do others; Chelsea is a monster in their home ground and rarely concede; Maybe this is the moment where AVB can start the engine running; But facing a veteran maestro (Hodgson) who knows premiership inside out, there is a slight possibility the host will not have their way; This is the last game for Brums before their fixtures get a bit softer; Anything than a win for the desperate new coach is a heart-wrenching disaster; An effective home win nonetheless;

He will not be missed...Is he?

BOL vs MCY

Top of the table clash of the week; Both scored identical scoreline in dismantling not so hopeless oppositions; The main issue now is the potentially explosive Aguero-kun; Firstly, Bolton are at home and they are no Swansea; Cahill will most probably mark him like hell if he plays; Aguero may be the new Tevez but he is not the kicks hogger like his compatriot while Dzeko in the mean time has recently played some decent football; With so much hype on City, underrated Bolton will have nothing to lose; The main beneficiaries will be the familiar one ie Klasnic, Cahill, Davies, Eagles; Their players are attractive but better wait until their brutal schedule finishes; With a plethora of attacking moves, both will fight tooth and nail for a deserved draw;

MUN vs TOT

The matchup says it all; Speedy wing play between Young, Bale, Lennon and Nani is expected; VDV is back to his best after their 5-nil demolition last night; But to encounter the Red Devils in their own hell would need more than just plain performance; They never did well here and based on the past record they can only get a draw against the defending champion; I would think that Young prevails in his battle with Nani in terms of creating chances but Rooney FPL price is fully justified nonetheless; Unfamiliar young defense will be facing the Milan conqueror to produce a see-saw match with the host to edge it; Stay tuned on Monday;

NOR vs STK

A rather good start for Canaries as they were the only promoted team that survives the 4-nil onslaught and at the same time managed to get a precious away point; Next assignment is at home and against a bad traveler Stoke, they will take every opportunity; Stoke new look are pretty defensively assembled and I can see other team will find it difficult to get pass their backline; Please note that Huth was not playing in his usual position to accommodate the impressive Woodgate; Their main problem is the finish product while Norwich attackers are having adequate potential to say at least; Another draw for both team;

WOL vs FUL

Wolves could continue their fine form after reversing the scoreline of season ending game last May; Fulham are in a devastating form of themselves after staying undefeated since preseason to show that last night European thrashing was no flash in the pan (Dempsey is back with a brace); Their different lineup/style indicates the depth and the flexibility of the new Martin Jol outfit; New signing aka captain Roger Johnson integrates seamlessly into Wolves lineup and finally both Doyle and Fletcher can be played as a front two; I guess 1-1 is the final scoreline; Stay tuned next week, enjoy the free wildcard and good luck: